Candy Hearts
by whyyesitscar
Summary: Naomi knows that Emily likes candy hearts. Horribly sappy Valentine's Day one-shot. Seriously, it will gag you with its cheesiness. Read it anyway?


**A/N: Sappiest thing I have ever written, written out a prompt given by vangoghgurrl that was simply: "Candy hearts, 2000 words." Fighting laptop battery, enjoy. You have been warned of the horribly saccharine contents that follow.

* * *

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**Candy Hearts  
**

Valentine's Day had always posed a problem for Naomi. On the one hand, she could claim to despise it on the grounds that it was a socially-constructed holiday that existed solely to perpetuate the horribly outdated image of women as meek, inferior creatures upon whom men should dote. But that wouldn't be fair; Naomi had a big heart and was somewhat of a closet romantic. On the other hand, she couldn't ignore how the holiday catered to the whims of the heteronormative patriarchy. (Plus, she'd never had someone to expend her secret effort on anyway).

But this Valentine's Day was an even bigger dilemma for Naomi because she had Emily. Emily hadn't explicitly said anything, but her big, brown, hopeful eyes had twinkled expectantly, and Naomi had melted. She'd shunned the holiday, hoping to throw Emily off, but in reality she'd been planning for months.

Emily had told her ages ago that she didn't buy into any of the cliché Valentine's Day gifts—roses, chocolates, teddy bears, jewelry—save for one: those chalky, worthless candy hearts. Naomi had laughed—who gave those out after grade school? Nevertheless, she'd filed away the information for future use.

It had become tradition for Emily to pick Naomi up at her house before school. They'd walk together most days; if the weather was bad, they'd run. (Naomi had forbidden Emily from ever riding a bike again until she got some proper lessons). Today was no exception—midway through making toast (it was always the same time), there was a soft, practiced knock at Naomi's door.

Naomi opened it to find Emily standing cheerfully on her stoop, clutching her bag with both hands.

"Morning, babe," Emily chimed brightly. "Is it a butter or jam day?"

Naomi opened the door let Emily through. "Well," she sighed, "it _would_ have been a jam day, but my lovely mother decided to finish off our jar of blackberry."

"Funny, I just might be able to help you there." Emily smirked as she dug around in her bag, proudly pulling out a jar of blackberry jam.

It was an excuse for Naomi to kiss her (not that she needed one, anyway). She grabbed the jar and made her way to the kitchen.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Naoms," Emily said in a sing-song voice.

"Happy 'Bribe Me For Love' Day, Ems."

The toast popped and Naomi spread her favorite jam over it, hiding her smile as she did so. Emily couldn't know just how happy a silly little jar of jam made her.

"Morning, Emily." Naomi rolled her eyes as Gina Campbell, world-class kook, sauntered into the room, arms laden with various knick-knacks and scarves.

"Morning, Gina," Emily replied, the amusement clear in her voice. "What have you got for me today?"

Since the beginning of the school year, when Emily had showed up at Naomi's door for the first time, Gina had made up for intruding on Naomi's time with her girlfriend by offering Emily eclectic gifts that she had picked up who-knows-where. Gina knew that nothing gave Naomi greater pleasure than watching Emily's eyes light up at the prospect of a truly wacky trinket that she hadn't even thought existed.

"Sparse selection today, I'm afraid. Powdered tiger penis from India? Supposed to be a powerful aphrodisiac."

"I think I'll pass on that one, Gina…"

"Alright, then I've got some books for you."

Emily immediately perked up. "Yeah? What are they?"

"_The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr_ and _This is Not a Book_. Want to know what they're about?"

Emily laughed. "No, Gina. They sound wonderful. Fork them over."

Naomi bit into her toast and smirked victoriously as Emily took the books from Gina. Gina caught her eye and winked back.

Operation Candy Hearts was going swimmingly.

* * *

Naomi didn't see Emily again until after first hour; it was one of the few classes that they didn't have together. She waited patiently for Emily at her locker. When she saw the redhead walking toward her with a mind-blowingly beautiful grin, it took all the willpower she could muster to act ignorant.

"You sneaky little charmer, Naomi Campbell," Emily teased.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Ems," Naomi said a little too innocently.

"Oh, really?" Emily challenged. "So you've never seen this before?" She pulled a small box out of her bag and held it out to Naomi; it was a box of candy hearts. The back was empty except for a capital 'Y' and half of an 'O.' Naomi had to stifle a grin.

"Looks like shoddy packaging if you ask me. Where'd you find it?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "As if you don't already know. Seems one of the books Gina gave me wasn't actually a book. This was inside of it."

"I've always said my mother was weird." The bell rang and Naomi sped away, leaving Emily to catch up with her.

She stopped next to Naomi with a heavy stamp and a huff. "You're a very sneaky girlfriend, missy," she said with a shrewd glare.

Naomi smiled, trying not to appear too smug. "I still don't know what you're talking about, Ems."

* * *

During lunch, Cook threw another box at Emily. This one had the second half of the 'O' and a 'U'. Naomi rolled her eyes at Cook's lack of tact and made a note to thank him later.

Kieran was just as surreptitious as Cook; Naomi had told him to hand it to her when he passed back papers. What happened instead was he forgot, Naomi raised her eyebrows, and he ran back to Emily, cursing, and threw a beaten-up box on her desk with an apologetic, "Sat on it, I think." The third one had a 'B' underneath a 'WI.' Emily looked at Naomi with an odd expression—one part amusement, one part confusion, one part adoration.

Naomi shrugged and hid another grin.

* * *

The fourth box was the one Naomi was least sure of; the act of getting it to Emily depended on Naomi's ability to tame the elder Fitch twin. She'd bribed Katie with clothes and the promise of a no-holds-barred, all-out shopping "education." Naomi never liked to show her desperation, but nothing was too much where Emily was concerned.

Naomi had purposely stayed away from Emily for the remainder of the day, only giving her a peck on the lips after school ended and telling her to come over after half an hour. She'd giggled at Emily's flustered expression before flouncing proudly away.

Naomi could hear the door bang open from upstairs. "Naoms! Where are you?" Emily called.

"Up here, Ems," she called back.

Emily bounded up the stairs and jogged into Naomi's room. She dropped the fourth box onto Naomi's bed; Naomi smirked at the sight of the 'LL' written above an 'E.' It seemed Katie had made good on her promise.

"'You will be'? I will be what? What does that even mean?"

Naomi smiled. "Seems like you're missing a word there, Ems."

A similar grin slowly made its way onto Emily's face. "Are you going to show me?"

"I might." Naomi grabbed a box that had been sitting on her desk and handed it to Emily. "Here. Open it."

Emily pulled the lid off the box and grinned when she saw the cake inside. It was a terribly sentimental, heart-shaped cake; she was exceedingly proud of it.

"Mine," Emily repeated. "You…will…be…mine," she put together. "Naoms…"

"You said you liked candy hearts," Naomi offered feebly.

Emily's face was radiant; her grin brightened Naomi's room more than the morning sun. "I love you," she said shyly. She put the cake carefully down on the floor before wrapping Naomi in a loving kiss; she chuckled when Naomi reached her hands under Emily's shirt and tickled her stomach. Naomi liked finding new ways to make Emily laugh, but that didn't mean the old stand-bys weren't just as effective.

Naomi worked her fingers slowly up Emily's torso; she never got tired of feeling Emily squirm when she touched a particularly sensitive spot on Emily's left side. She especially never got tired of hearing the involuntary gasp that came along with every touch.

"I love you, too, Ems," Naomi echoed.

"I thought you hated Valentine's Day."

Naomi slid her hands down Emily's back and let them rest just above her ass. "I can be very tricky when the situation calls for it."

Emily smirked and kissed Naomi's neck, sucking lightly at her collarbone. "I've noticed," she rasped. "Although…'you will be mine'? Awfully presumptuous of you, isn't it?"

Naomi thought about mornings with Emily, and afternoons with Emily, and evenings with Emily, and especially nights with Emily, and she smiled.

"No," she said. "It's a promise."


End file.
